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Summary
Summary
Be yourself like Molly Lou Melon no matter what a bully may do.
Molly Lou Melon is short and clumsy, has buck teeth, and has a voice that sounds like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor. She doesn't mind. Her grandmother has always told her to walk proud, smile big, and sing loud, and she takes that advice to heart.
But then Molly Lou has to start in a new school. A horrible bully picks on her on the very first day, but Molly Lou Melon knows just what to do about that.
Author Notes
Patty Lovell's dad told her the best stories when she was a little girl, inspiring her to write her own. Patty has taught elementary school in London, Virginia, Harlem, and on Long Island. She currently teaches first grade and lives in Glen Cove, New York.
David Catrow is the illustrator of many picture books including Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon and its sequel Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon , written by Patty Lovell; I Wanna Iguana and its two companion books I Wanna New Room and I Wanna Go Home, written by Karen Kaufman Orloff; Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel; The Middle Child Blues by Kristyn Crow; and We the Kids- the Preamble to the Constitution. He lives in Ohio with his wife, Deborah.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Meet Molly Lou Melon: she's "just taller than her dog," with "buck teeth that stuck out so far, she could stack pennies on them," and a voice that brings to mind "a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor." She also possesses huge insect-like eyes. In fact, young readers may actually gasp when they get a good look at the fearless first-grader in Catrow's (She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head) double spread, extreme close-up portrait. Thanks to her grandmother, the protagonist possesses seemingly indomitable self-esteem but will it survive a move to a new school and a bully named Ronald Durkin? Newcomer Lovell doesn't offer any real surprises in her fable there's never any doubt that Molly Lou Melon will charm her classmates with her eccentric talents (which include making a paper snowflake the size of a school room), or that even Ronald Durkin will capitulate and join her fan club. What keeps the storytelling fresh is the crisp prose and the heroine's full-speed-ahead determination; the story never dallies too long on the potentially saccharine message. Catrow's full-bleed pencil-and-watercolor illustrations, awash in ripe colors and animated by slapstick exaggeration, radiate a winningly eccentric elegance. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
A small girl with large buck teeth and a funny voice has a grandmother who is just as tiny, but whose big heart and even bigger brains produce some sage advice. Armed with self-confidence, Molly Lou can stand up to any insults from the bully at her new school. While the message may be worthwhile, the watercolors of wide-eyed Molly Lou Melon resemble an unattractive Cindy Lou Who. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Although first-grader Molly Lou Melon is extremely short, has buck teeth you can stack pennies on and a bull-frog voice, and is clumsy, her grandmother keeps reminding her that if she believes in herself, the world will believe in her, too. When Molly Lou's family moves, and she encounters the school bully, Ronald Durkin, she remembers her grandmother's advice. When he calls her "SHRIMPO!" she beats him at football and, full of self-confidence, meets his other taunts with an astounding array of talents. The intricate snowflake she cuts wins Ronald's admiration and his gift of a stacking penny for her teeth. Catrow's pencil and neon-green-tinged watercolor illustrations suit the exuberant, over-the-top quality of the protagonist and text. The book's message, however, may leave readers wondering if the way to deal with a bully is just to be better at everything, which might not be feasible for many children. Judith Caseley's Bully (Greenwillow, 2001) is more realistic. Still, Lovell's story is good fun, and to believe in oneself, in all one's variability, is a laudable theme.-Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Spunky Molly Lou Melon isn't going to let anything get in her way, including the fact that she is short, clutzy, buck-toothed, and has a voice like a frog. Newcomer Lovell's heroine follows her grandmother's sage wisdom to walk proudly, smile big, sing out, and believe in herself. And Molly has never needed that advice more than when her family moves. At her new school, Molly immediately becomes the target of Ronald Durkin, the bully. But leave it to Molly to transform all her "faults" into marvelous talents that get the best of Ronald Durkin, as hilariously illustrated by Catrow (Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs, p. 499, etc.). His pictures fill the pages with wild perspectives, goofy-looking kids, and hilarious details. Readers will have no trouble imagining themselves a part of the action, and Lovell makes it easy for children to chime in with several repetitive phrases. Even if Molly Lou Melon's tale is a little too good to be true, she leaves readers with the feeling that anything can be accomplished if you are the best person you can be and make the most of your gifts. (Picture book. 4-8)
